Unit Outline
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statement of inquiry
Conflicts provide significant turning points in which those in power can be displaced and discredited, often to the advantage of rival groups
global context
Orientation in Time and Space (Displacement and Exchange) - Students will explore personal histories; homes and journeys; turning points in humankind; discoveries; explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and civilizations, from personal, local and global perspectives.
key history concept
Significance - History is not simply the record of all events that have happened in the past. Instead, history is the record that has been preserved through evidence or traces of the past, and/or the aspects that someone has consciously decided to record and communicate. Students should be encouraged to ask questions about why something may have been recorded or included in a historical narrative. Similarly, they should be encouraged to think about who or what has been excluded from historical narratives, and for what reasons. Additionally, students’ questions should encourage them to think about, and assess, the relative importance of events, people, groups or developments, and whether the evidence supports the claims that others make about their significance.
related history concept(s)
Causality - Causality is the relationship between cause and effect and the internal and external factors that influence this relationship. In history, a cause is something that gives rise to an action, event, phenomenon, or condition. A consequence is a result or an effect of an action, phenomenon or condition. Causes and consequences are often examined together in relation to a specific event, phenomenon or time period, particularly over the “short term” and “long term”. The problem of “multiple causality” has also been central to historiography.
Conflict - Conflict can develop from inequalities in distribution of power and may manifest itself in many forms: protracted disagreements or arguments; prolonged armed struggles; clashes of opposing feelings or needs; serious incompatibilities between two or more opinions, principles, or interests. Historians study conflict between individuals and societies over time and across place and space, and they also examine how conflicts can be sources of continuity and catalysts for change. |
1. What were the turning points of the war?
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The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945 was a hugely significant turning point in East Asian history. The war transformed the fortunes of all its combatants, none more so than the GMD and CPC. But which side fought more during the war and who benefited?
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2. What accounts for GMD failures during the war?
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Perspectives on the Sino Japanese War vary across time. During the Cold War, perspectives were shaped by the war against communism. As Sino-American relations have improved, there is now remarkable consensus over the failures of the GMD regime.
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3. What were the turning points of the Civil War?
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The Chinese Civil War of 1946-49 remains a turning point event in the history of modern China. Despite the miraculous survival of the CPC in the 1930s, and its successful guerilla war against the Japanese in the 1940s, CPC victory was by no means certain. What accounts for their victory?
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4. Did the CPC win or GMD lose the Civil War?
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Perspectives on the Civil War natural contrast drastically. As such a pivotal event in world history, the war is remember as a masterpiece of CPC strategy and testament to the popularity of their ideology. But is the story better explained by highlighting GMD failures?
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5. Assessment: Where did the CPC win the war?
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This final lesson of the unit reflects back on the statement of inquiry by examining those significant turning points that enabled CPC victory. In doing so, it will explore the important role that strategic decision making, planning, and chance can have on the outcomes of wars.
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